Create, then Draw

Workout #7 - Create, then Draw

Sometimes the hardest part about drawing is figuring out WHAT TO DRAW? Why not Create, then Draw. The images below show drawings that were made after first creating something unique and interesting.

The Workout

With this workout you will need to first create a simple form. The examples below are showing forms made with wire, craft foam and paper. There are certainly many other ways this workout can be interpreted but the important thing to focus on is that the making will direct your drawing in new ways that you may have never explored. They workouts can then inspired new drawings. The wire sculpture of the boy's face was created by a 10th grader who never used wire as a sculpting material. When he finished early I asked him to draw the sculpture and add color. I was pleasantly surprised to see the observed detail he included in his finished drawing. This type of drawing would have been very difficult to achieve if the wire sculpture was not first created.

Third and forth graders created sculptures out of organic craft foam shapes. Random slits in the craft foam allowed shapes to be connected. As students finished, they drew the sculptures in their sketchbooks. "It looks like a...." are great prompts for the students to complete after they finish drawing.

White strips of paper cut out and glued to a flat surface can create words. Drawings inspired by these words can be created to investigate whimsical hand-lettering.

About Me

My name is Carrie and I am a K-12 Art Teacher. When I began teaching 3 years ago I saw a disconnect between students’ attitudes towards drawing and how it is framed within the K-12 curriculum. When students don’t know how to draw or have no confidence in their work I have observed a decrease in their creative confidence. I wondered how teachers’ and parents’ attitudes about drawing shaped our students’ desire to draw well.

I believe we all have the capacity to draw and I also believe that the ability draw well can not only improve our daily lives but also improve our capacity for creativity within any profession.